Press Releases
Ranking Members Scott and Connolly Call for an Immediate Halt to the Illegal Dismantling of ED
03.20.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to the Secretary of Education Linda McMahon urging the Department of Education to put the wellbeing of American families and students ahead of tax cuts for billionaires and halt the illegal shutdown of the Department, reinstate all unlawfully terminated employees, and protect ed… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott’s Statement on Trump Dismantling ED
03.20.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement in response to President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education (ED). To see how this action is part of President Trump’s Project 2025 Agenda to benefit billionaires at the expense of workers, students, and families, read page 352 of Project 2025 here. “Abolishing a federal agency requires an Act of Congress. President Trump’s exec… Continue Reading
Reps. Courtney, Houchin Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Lower Prescription Drug Costs
03.11.25 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Reps. Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Erin Houchin (R-IN) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to shine a light on the opaque prescription drug pricing system to ensure patients get a fair deal. In 2023, the House passed their bill (320-71) as part of the Lower Cost, More Transparency Act. Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are the middlemen between pharmacies, drugmakers, and health insurers who negotiate the price Americans pay for prescription drugs. Currently, PBMs are not c… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Bonamici Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on School Choice in K-12 Education
03.11.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Early Childhood and Secondary Education Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Education Without Limits: Exploring the Benefits of School Choice.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today. “I want to begin by acknowledging the role that public schools play in our communities, our economy, and our democracy. With the overwhelming majority of students in public… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on February Jobs Report
03.07.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 151,000 jobs in February, and the unemployment rate rose from 4.0 percent to 4.1 percent. During President Biden's first month in office, the economy created 509,000 jobs in February 2021. Over the course of President Biden's term, seasonally adjusted job creation averaged 337,000. Under President Biden, the economy added 16.2 million … Continue Reading
ICYMI: Ranking Member Scott Leads More Than 200 Lawmakers to Reintroduce Landmark Pro-Worker Legislation
03.07.25 WASHINGTON - This week, led by House Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), a bipartisan group of House and Senate Members reintroduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, H.R. 20, a landmark proposal to protect workers' right to come together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. Watch the full press conference on YouTube. The PRO Act seeks to strengthen labor laws that safeguard workers’ ability t… Continue Reading
Civil Rights Leaders Reintroduce Bill to Strengthen Protections, Restore Intent of Federal Religious Freedom Law
03.06.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressional civil rights leaders reintroduced the Do No Harm Act, to address the increasing use of religious freedom to undermine civil rights protections. The bill restores the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to its original purpose, which is to protect religious exercise while ensuring religious freedom is not used to erode civil rights protections. The legislation is sponsored by House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott… Continue Reading
What People Are Saying: Protecting the Right to Organize Act
03.06.25 WASHINGTON - Yesterday, a bipartisan group of House and Senate Members introduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2025 (H.R. 20), a comprehensive proposal to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. Here is what leading advocates and experts are saying about the PRO Act: American Federation of Musicians: “The PRO Act gives workers essential safeguards against anti-union attacks. The American… Continue Reading
Bipartisan Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Protect Workers’ Right to Organize
03.05.25 WASHINGTON - Today, a bipartisan group of House and Senate Members reintroduced H.R. 20, the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a comprehensive proposal to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. The House bill was introduced by the Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08), and Representative Brian Fitzpat… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Adams Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
03.05.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Alma S. Adams (NC-12) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee hearing, entitled, “Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for America’s Workforce.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. “Workforce development is not just an abstract policy; it directly impacts the lives of North Carolinians and millions of Americans. “As I’ve discussed with the Chairma… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on the Joint Session of Congress Presidential Address
03.04.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Joint Session of Congress Presidential Address. “Four years after inciting a mob to attack the United States Capitol, President Trump returned to these historic halls to continue his mission: sow chaos and enrich himself and his billionaire friends at cost to the American people. “To date, President Trump has yet to offer any reasonable or concrete solutions to the real problems Amer… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opening Remarks at Full Committee Hearing on the American Workforce and Economy
02.26.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks at today’s full committee hearing entitled “Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening Our Economy.” “Today’s full committee hearing— the first labor-related one of the 119th Congress— comes just as President Trump completed his first month in his second term. It’s important to be clear about the economy and labor market that President Trump and the Congressional Republicans inherited, as they are… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Seeks Answers on DOGE's Access to Sensitive Data
02.25.25 WASHINGTON - House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) is demanding urgent action after reports that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has gained unauthorized access to sensitive data at the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor. Ranking Member Scott raised serious concerns that DOGE's actions could violate the Privacy Act of 1974, which protects Americans' personal data. In his letters, R… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Demand Information on Impact of NIOSH Cuts on Worker Safety
02.24.25 WASHINGTON - House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) are demanding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) share how the reductions in staffing and program funding at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will impact worker safety. “NIOSH plays a crucial role in ensuring the health and safety of American workers, and we must fully understand the … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Trump’s Radical Reinterpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
02.20.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after President Trump’s Department of Education released a Dear Colleague threatening to withhold funding from schools for common practices beyond what the Supreme Court has considered. “In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decided that ‘separate but equal’ had no place in our school system. While the decision was lauded as a victory to right co… Continue Reading
Ranking Members Scott, Omar Demand Answers from Trump Administration on Destruction of Valuable Workplace Safety Documents, Putting Workers’ Lives at Risk
02.14.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05), House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections demanded accountability from the Trump Administration’s Department of Labor (DOL) amidst concerning reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has removed and potentially destroyed several key documents related to worker-safety. These documents may have been destroyed simply because … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opposes Republican Proposal to Raise Student Loans Payments and Cut School Meal Programs
02.13.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, spoke in opposition to House Republicans’ proposed budget. Republicans’ budget cuts will likely target school meal programs and the student loan program. These cuts, aimed at funding tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, come at a time when millions of American families are struggling with rising prices for everyday essentials like eggs. The Majority’s proposed cuts threaten crit… Continue Reading
Ranking Members Scott, Raskin, and Connolly Demand Accountability for Unlawful Firing of NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox
02.13.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (MD-08), House Committee on the Judiciary, and Ranking Member Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, demanded President Trump reverse his unlawful firing of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Member Gwynne Wilcox and that he produce documents and communications showing who was involved in this decision to violate federal law. Wit… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott's Opening Statement at Markup of Bills to Burden School Administrators and Make Students Less Healthy
02.12.25 *Amendments and letters of opposition for today’s markup can be found here.* WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H.R. 1048, H.R. 649, H.R. 1069, H.R. 1005, and H.R. 1049. “Thank you, Chairman Walberg. Today, we are here to mark up four education bills and one nutrition-related bill. “With regard to the education bills, it is hard to overlook the glaring irony in today’s markup. My Republic… Continue Reading
Committee Republicans Pass Unfunded Mandates, Bills to Make School Meals Less Healthy, and Weaken Our International Relations
02.12.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Republicans advanced four education bills and one nutrition bill that would further burden the U.S. Department of Education even as they seek to dismantle the Department and endanger the future of public education. “[T]he proposals we are considering today will not actually improve students’ education and outcomes. We are considering a series of bills that only add complexity and confusion and, frankly, are solutions in search of a problem,” said Ranking Member Sc… Continue Reading